King Underground Vinyl & CDs

Review: Dilated Peoples dropped their 'The Platform' on 45rpm via Capitol Records, a promotional release only back in 2000 that has never officially been reissued since. King Underground change that with this new 7". It takes us back to a powerful moment in the history of hip-hop when the underground acts began to make their mark on the mainstream - a seismic shift that still has an impact today. On this one the Los Angeles-based group pairs mighty mic work with killer beats and plenty of positive messages that whereat odds with the gangsta sounds of the day.

Review: KingUnderground Records present the instrumentals version of Lewis Parker's sought after hip-hop record 'Frequency Of Perception' - a record that continued to cement Parker as a stalwart of the 90s hip-hop sound, think Tribe, Slum Village, The Pharcyde et al. The prolific UK-born hip-hop legend proves to be as tapped into the feel of a pocket as he was when he came on the scene in the 90s. The attention to detail and the intent in the sequencing and production on Frequency Of Perception is best noticed when listening front to back. The whole album touches on dynamics in line with the iconic sound that Parker built his reputation on for decades; all while finding new ways to tell stories by further exploring instrumentation. Lewis remains consistent in his craft, continuing to cook up beats and productions with classic techniques and fresh ingredients. There is no sense of reaching - the productions exude an attitude that reaps a true passion for his craft.

Review: Andy Baxter is Robohands and he was back with a third album that followed up the success of his first, Green, and second, Dusk back in late 2022. This one marked a debut on KingUnderground and was a superb showcase of the composer's instrumental and production skills which soon sold out. Now it gets reissued on lovely limited translucent orange vinyl. Once more the artists combines ambient, jungle and hip-hop sensibilities into a relaxing and signature jazz sound that will leave you feeling blissed out and ready for whatever the world can throw at you.

Review: Back in the 60s and 70s, library music exploded as a genre. It saw plenty of talented musicians make extra cash by laying down endless instrumental grooves for use in TV, film and radio. The King Underground label is now digging into the vast vaults for a new series of releases of some of the finest sounds from the era. The first 45 features tracks considered to be 'dramatic' from John Scott and Tony Kinsey. Scott's 'Milky Way' opens up with cosmic chords and sweeping strings that take you to the stars while 'Star Voyage' has a more busy lead. Kinsey's 'Kaleidoscope' builds the tension with multiple movements from several instruments.